UK questioned on Irish DTT provision
The Celtic League has written to the United Kingdom Department of Culture, Media and Sport asking what steps are being taken to implement the Memorandum of Understanding between the UK and Ireland to extend respective digital TV broadcasts across Ireland (see below):
Rt Hon Jeremy Hunt
Minister for Culture. Media and Sport
DCMS
2-4 Cockspur Street
London SW1Y 5DH
09/09/10
Dear Minister,
I write with reference to the Memorandum of Understanding between the British and Irish governments signed on 1 February 2010.
ROIMOUFeb2010.pdf
Can you advise what steps are being taken to facilitate the "widespread availability on the DTT platforms of BBC Services in Ireland and of RTE Services in Northern Ireland"?
Specifically, have DTT broadcast multiplexes been allocated to carry the relevant RTE Services and what is the `roll-out' schedule for same.
In relation to the current provision of Irish language channel TG4 as part of the analogue TV terrestrial service in N. Ireland (in line with the spirit of the Good Friday agreement) why is the broadcast power for this service so low –and is there any intention pre Digital Switch Over (DSO) to improve this service.
Yours sincerely,
J B Moffatt (Mr)
Director of Information
The League have also included a query about the current provision of Irish language TV channel TG4 as part of analogue TV provision in the North. TG4 broadcasts (on Channel 59) from the Divis transmitter near Belfast were seen at the time as a positive cultural spin-off from the 1998 Belfast Agreement. However the broadcast strength is very low powered and the channel is not carried on any relay of the main transmitter.
J B Moffatt (Mr)
Director of Information
Celtic League
09/09/10
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